Wrong Is Right (1982)

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Charles McCarry (novel)
Richard Brooks (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

16 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Only Patrick Hale can prevent a desperate president, the head of the CIA, a trigger happy general, terrorists, an arms dealer, and religious fanatics from destroying our world, But he has other things on his mind.

Plot:

A satire of American news reporting, Covert Agencies, and political system. The theft of two suitcase sized nuclear weapons...

Plot Keywords:

Terrorist Group | Nuclear Weapon | Satire | Terrorist | Arab Stereotype

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Patrick Hale
George Grizzard	...	President Lockwood
Robert Conrad	...	Gen. Wombat
Katharine Ross	...	Sally Blake
G.D. Spradlin	...	Philindros
John Saxon	...	Homer Hubbard
Henry Silva	...	Rafeeq
Leslie Nielsen	...	Mallory
Robert Webber	...	Harvey
Rosalind Cash	...	Mrs. Ford
Hardy Krüger	...	Helmut Unger (as Hardy Kruger)
Dean Stockwell	...	Hacker
Ron Moody	...	King Awad
Cherie Michan	...	Erika
Tony March	...	Abu
Marianne Marks	...	Suzy
Jeffrey Wheat	...	Mike
Joseph Whipp	...	John Brown
Tom McFadden	...	Billy Bob Harper
Ivy Bethune	...	Housewife
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Young Girl
Kiva Lawrence	...	CIA Receptionist
Barry Cahill	...	Husband
Angelo Bertolini	...	Cardinal
Keith McConnell	...	Sir Robert Smythe
Alexander Zale	...	Prof. Faheem
Donald Bishop	...	Congressman
Dianne L. Wilson	...	Woman with Dog (as Diane Lynn Wilson)
George Skaff	...	Col. Qadeer
Denis Hoppe	...	Hagreb Officer
Milt Jamin	...	Hagreb Army Doctor
Edward L. Moskowitz	...	W.T.N. Technician
Myron Natwick	...	Adm. Leary
Paul Lambert	...	Defense Secretary
Suzanne Reynolds	...	TV Woman Reporter
David Frankham	...	British Reporter
Ed Pennybacker	...	U.S. Reporter
Ken Bibeau	...	Marcus
Art Evans	...	Warehouse Guard
Mio Polo	...	Warehouse Guard
Charles Hutchins	...	Cabbie
Robert Alan Browne	...	Motorist
Mickey Jones	...	Gunman
Dawna O'Brien	...	President's Secretary
Pamela V. Kobbe	...	Mr. Hale's Secretary
Clare Grenville	...	Mallory Campaigner (as Claire Grenville)
Merrill M. Mazuer	...	W.T.N. News Staff
Ray Conners	...	W.T.N. News Staff
Ken Gale	...	W.T.N. News Staff
Melinda Casey	...	W.T.N. News Staff (as Melinda Ann Casey)
Kerry Sullivan	...	W.T.N. News Staff
Don F. Dunwell	...	W.T.N. News Staff (as Don Dunwell)
Melanie Stensland	...	W.T.N. News Staff (as Melanie Steensland)
Don Worsham	...	W.T.N. News Staff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julie Condra	...	(uncredited)
Ken Davis	...	Ed (uncredited)
Toby Hughes	...	TV Cameraman (uncredited)
Angela Pabisch	...	Girl at Airport Ticket Counter (uncredited)
George Palmer	...	W.T.N. News Staff (uncredited)
Frank Patton	...	Riot Cop (uncredited)
Jeff Schwartz	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Brooks

Writing credits
Charles McCarry		(novel "The Better Angels")
Richard Brooks		(written for the screen by)

Produced by
Richard Brooks	....	producer
Andrew Fogelson	....	executive producer
George Grenville	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Artie Kane

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography) (as Fred Koenekamp)

Film Editing by
George Grenville

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)

Set Decoration by
Arthur Jeph Parker

Costume Design by
Ray Summers

Makeup Department
Lillian Barb	....	hair stylist
Joe DiBella	....	makeup artist (as Joseph DiBella)
Christina Smith	....	makeup supervisor
Jay Cannistraci	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Joan Bradshaw	....	unit production manager: New York (as Joan R. Bradshaw)
Dean O'Brien	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
R. Anthony Brown	....	second assistant director
Alan Hopkins	....	first assistant director: New York
Steve Perry	....	first assistant director (as Steven H. Perry)
B. Thomas Seidman	....	second assistant director
Robert E. Warren	....	second assistant director: New York (as Robert Warren)
Daniel J. Heffner	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)
Duncan Scott	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Karl Hueglin	....	art director: New York
Gary Martin	....	construction coordinator (as Gary O. Martin)
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Richard Pitman	....	set designer (as Richard W. Pitman)
Ernest W. Southern	....	stand-by scenic: New York (as Ernie Southern)
Kenneth D. Westcott	....	property master
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production mixer (as Gene Cantamesa)
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kay Rose	....	supervising sound editor
Nancy Sammons	....	sound editor (as Nancy Sammons Barker)
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	sound editor
Chester Slomka	....	sound editor (as Chester L. Slomka)
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects foreman
Richard Stutsman	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Sandy Alexander	....	stunts
William H. Burton	....	stunt coordinator (as Billy Burton)
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Frank Ferrara	....	stunts (as Frank Ferrar)
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts (as Mic Rogers)
Victoria Vanderkloot	....	stunts (as Victoria Vanderskleet)
Ted White	....	stunts
Lisa Dalton	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Blanford	....	second assistant camera: Texas
Donald Carlson	....	first assistant camera: Texas (as Donald C. Carlson)
Andrew M. Costikyan	....	camera operator: Texas
Robert Miller Jr.	....	best boy grip
Edward Morey III	....	camera operator (as Ed Morey III)
John Murray	....	key grip (as John J. Murray)
Lawrence E. Peets	....	best boy electric (as Larry Peets)
Marcia Reed	....	still photographer
Christopher Squires	....	first assistant camera
Gene Stout	....	gaffer (as Eugene Stout)
Richard Turner	....	second assistant camera
Rick Whitfield	....	video coordinator (as Richard Whitfield)
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer: New York (uncredited)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Francis Delaney	....	wardrobe: men (as Barry Delaney)
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck	....	wardrobe: women (as Francine Jamison)
Bud Santora	....	costumes: New York
Ray Summers	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Larry Grenville	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Joan Biel	....	music editor
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Paul Casella Jr.	....	transportation captain
Walt Freitas	....	transportation coordinator (as Walter Freitas)

Other crew
Kirk Borcherding	....	production accountant
Rocco Derasmo	....	teamster captain: New York
Eileen Eichenstein	....	production office coordinator: New York
John Franco	....	script supervisor
George Grenville	....	montage designer
George Grenville	....	title designer
Mary Cay Hollander	....	production coordinator
Stephanie Swafford	....	technical advisor: W.T.N.
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
B.J. Smith	....	first aid: construction (uncredited)

Thanks
Ivan Catton	....	special thanks (as Dr. Ivan Catton)
Gerald C. Pomraning	....	special thanks (as Dr. Gerald C. Pomraning)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Productions (as Rastar)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Industries (1982) (Japan) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1982) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1983) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Burbank Studios Production Sound Department  video display
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sony Corporation of America  special thanks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (1986) (cut) | UK:15 (2004) (uncut) | UK:AA (1982) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:16 (unconfirmed) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Final film as a producer for Richard Brooks and penultimate film for him as both a writer and a director. His last film as a writer and director would be Fever Pitch (1985).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): (At 34:00) The design of the suitcase bombs is shown to President Lockwood. The bombs are said to contain plutonium, but the design shown fits the uranium bomb (the cannon design), not plutonium bomb (the fission sphere design) - a very distinctive difference President's aides should know.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

A VICIOUS AND SAVAGE SATIRE

Richard Brooks' "Wrong Is Right" is a vicious and savage satire of many aspects of society. Television, news reporting, politics and pleasure domes are just a few of the targets Brooks' aims at in this truly underrated film.

I really don't want to give away the plot because one of the true pleasures of this movie is Brooks' surprises and payoffs. So let me in a carefully vague way give a hint of what it's all about. Sean Connery plays a television reporter (notice how in many of Brooks' films, that the protagonists are reporters ex: Fever Pitch, In Cold Blood, Bite the Bullet)who gets involved with a terrorist group and ends up in a bigger mess than he anticipated.

But that's not the whole story. But I dare not say anymore because the film depends on the element of surprise.